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Chapter 5 – Lies

The weekend went by really fast. I had to call my parents and tell them that we’re planning on staying a little longer as we were still on study break. My mother was actually happy.

“Ooh Fatoo, maybe, just maybe you will meet someone in Joburg! As long as you study and read salaah then it’s okay to stay a bit longer.” said my mum.

Salaah! How on earth could I have done such a grave sin to forget my salaah. ! I looked at the time and rushed to read Zohar salaah before Asr salaah could set in. At least now I didn’t feel so guilty anymore. Growing up, my parents always called us for Salaah, always stressed and reminded us that we need to make time no matter how busy we were to perform salaah.

Meanwhile Aneesa had been too busy falling more and more in love with Faheem. We hardly spoke because she had the phone glued to her ears. Layha rushed excitedly in the room,

“Faheem’s mum has called your mum to ask for your hand in marriage and if the answer is yes they want to have the engagement next weekend.”

“Let us just ask a few people and we will give them an answer soon.” answered her mum.

Like typical aapara wara mentality, a complete background check has to be done. When I say background check I don’t mean just how the boy is and so on. Trust me, if SARS ever needs anyone investigated they should call an Aunty. The mother and father background investigation is thorough! Facebook – check! Twitter – check! Money accounts – check! And if SARS finds you, how much money in the mattress to support our daughter – check! It amazes me that no one ever thought of coming up with the dial an aunty for marriage investigation agency for the day your child wants to get married.

That evening Faheem came over for supper. Aslam was impressed by this twenty year old boy running his own business who didn’t need good old daddy’s money. Faheem was what they call new money. Faheem apparently owned a few blocks of flats which he rented out as an income. He started off by his parents buying him an apartment near Wits while he studied. He was very kanjoos and decided to stay with his Dadi instead while he rented out his apartment. The rest, well that is always filled with just history. Faheem charmed everyone that night with his suave good looks and bubbly conversation.

“Well I’m 20. I make my own money with stuff I do here and there. My parents are originally from Lenz. My dad has a clothing store in bank city. My mother has her own Abayah range and as a full time nanima, my sister’s kids keep her busy all the time. Layha, I’m a straight-up guy I really like Aneesa, she is sweet. She comes from a farm town so we all know she’s not spoilt if you know what I mean.” answered Faheem

“I know what you mean by spoilt, that’s why I went for Layha. We met at a family wedding, when she told me she was from a “farm town” I knew she would be my wife. You know, nobody heard of her, nobody has stories to tell about her, and honestly farm girls are taught old school. They’re told to respect the husband, allow the husband to do as he pleases. At the end of day you don’t need a smart mouth woman to ruin your fun and get all pulled up. For example, today’s girls with new school teaching, they just smell the perfume of someone else on you and bam! Your marriage is over, no trial nothing.” concurred Aslam.

Layha started laughing hysterically, ” Sure, that’s what you think. We maybe old school but we know how to make you pay for that perfume smell.”

“Faheem knows I love him and I know he loves me so I don’t have to worry about other women. Plus women today wear so much perfume just standing in line with a woman it will rub off on you without even touching her.” said Aneesa.

“Fati, you very quite tonight, don’t you have your two cents to add?” asked Faheem.

“Well, women deserve to be respected. My parents are married for 20 years. My dad comes home everyday the same time. He still calls my mummy just to talk and he always says that you may think that you’re having fun but Allah is always watching,” I replied.

“You can’t be that blind! Everyone is not perfect or happy, it just a face they show.” argued Layha.

We all just looked at her, thank goodness Faheem managed to change the subject and started talking about wedding plans. The rest of the evening dragged on at snails pace. Before Faheem left I asked him for a few more white pills.

“Just one more, that’s all! We all just need to unwind especially with such good news” begged Aneesa.

“ok but Aneesa this is the last one for you.” reprimanded Faheem.

I was reluctant to take it but I fell in love with this sleep. I took it and drifted into a deep slumber.

4 thoughts on “Chapter 5 – Lies”

Lovely blog which highlights some very common practices/thoughts of our community. Aslam is a creep and faheem is a shady character. Certainly proves love is blind — you block out anything bad you see from your beloved. I love how fati describes her parents marriage. Enviable in today’s day and age. Oh and sad that many think the way Fatis mum does– if you read your salah then it’s fine to have a boyfriend and so on!

lovely writing, and awareness of what happens when children are left in the hands of careless adults. do adults in their 30s, close to 40, really have such immature conversations with teenagers at a dinner table. we as a community need to be an example for our youth. offer guidance and healthy conversations about various topics which affect youth. not dish out senseless advice as layha advises girls on dressing ie, if you dress a certain way, that’s the only way to get a husband. sadly this is probably the thinking of majority of adults, and this kind of thinking is rubbed on to the teenagers, lowering their self-esteem and self-worth. comments such as “dressing like a granny”, “have fun” etc tend to worry a teenager in terms of image more than one thinks. especially if they are going to be surrounded by adults, who’s definition of success is to have a rich husband, dream holidays, big house and car – in the absence of deen. when deen is not the cornerstone of ones home, or intentions, then I guess we all loose purpose in life. may Allah swt guide us all, to be the best, decent role models their are for our youth, and may Allah swt guide our thinking and our youth onto the right path always InshAllah Ameen.